Automobile signal



Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,456

s. KLoos AUTOMOBILE S I GNAL Filea Sept. 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wdazm sc /muelfizoa-s MENTOR WITNESS: ATTORNEY Patented Got. 9, 1928.

V UNITED STATES 1,687,455 PATENT OFFICEQ SAMUEL KLOOS, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO.

' -AU'1OMOBILE SIGNAL.

Application fil ed September 22, 1926. Serial No. 137,128.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a plurality of signals for motor operated vehicles, and which signals are singly and automatically operable by means controlled by the speed of the machine, each signal havinga particular significance, to indicate to others, and more particularly the drivers of approachingvehicles, the speed at which the machine so equipped is traveling.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when'the following detail description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this ap plication like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the severalviews and wherein: i

igure 1 is a view of the operatingmechanism, with one part of the casing or housing therefor removed, 1

Figure 2 is. a view partly in section showing how the governor shaft is mounted.

Figure3 is a sectional View on line 3-3 of Figure 2. a

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line H of I Figure 2.

' Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 2. p p

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing how the circuit is completed to one of the signals. 1

Figure 7 is a sectional view on line 77 of Figure 6. v

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Figure 7. i I v In accordance with the present invention, I contemplate the provision of a' plurality of signals, each having a particular significance with relation to a predetermined speed of the vehicle, and While these various signals may be mounted on any appropriate part of a vehicle, they are preferably. arranged in a lamp casing. One of these lamp casings may be mounted on each ofthe front and rear fenders of the vehicle and each casing may be divided into three separate compartments. In a each of these compartments there is an electric light bulb included in a normally open circuit, while the front of .each compartment is closed by a particular color lens. The lens for one compartment is preferably white, for another compartment, yellow and for the remaining compartment red.

adjacent endplate of the casing 15. coupling sleeve 18 is provided with a thread As hereinabove stated these signals are selectively and automatically controlled by the speed of the machine, and the'mechanism for this purposeis housed within a suitable casing which is preferably made in sections and indicated at 15. This casing is arranged beneath the hood of the vehicle, and has ournaied therein a governor shaft 16 which is interposed between the speedometer shaft of the machine, and the speedometer operating shaft which is of the ordinary flexible construction. As clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the governor shaft 16 is received within a coupling sleeve or the like 18 which is suitably threadcd for association with the shaft of the speedometer, while the other end of the shaft is slotted as at 19 for association with the flexible speedometer operating shaft above mentioned, which shaft is also coupled or thread ed on the extension 20 formed on the The ed element 21 which is received by an an.- nular groove 22 formed in the adjacent end of the shaft 16, which of course-allows-the latter mentioned shaft to rotate within the sleeve as will be readily understood. Ar-

ranged on the under side of the upper end plate 23 of the casing is a disk 24 having a groove for aserles of ball'bearmgs 25, which balls also operate 1n a groove formed in the adjacent end of a collar 26 which is held fixed relatively to the shaft 16 for rotation therewith by means of the threaded elements 27. This collar is formed with a sleeve-like extension 28 which constitutes a stop to limit the movement of the collar 29 longitudinally of the shaft 16, which collar 29 is connected with the collar 26 by the arms 30 which are pivotally connected with these collars and also pivotally connected together as shown in Figure 1. A spring 31 surrounds the sleeve-like portion-28 of the collar 26, and

bears against the latter mentioned collar and V the collar 29, to normally hold the latter in its normal lowermost position upon the shaft 16. The collar 29 is swivelly mounted upon a sleeve 32 which is mounted to slide upon the shaft 16 together "with the collar 29, but which construction permits the collar 29 to rotate with the shaft 16 and with relation to the sleeve 82. Each of the collars 26and 29 are preferably made in sections so that they can be conveniently associated with the shaft 16, and each collar is slotted or bifurcated as at 33 to pivotally receive the adjacent arms 30 above mentioned which operatively connect the collars as described. The sleevclike member of the collar 25) is clearly illus trated in Figure 6, and the lower end of th sleeve is formed with arms or extensions which support the spring pressedplungers, constituting the movable contacts of the switches employed in connection with the dillerent signals above mentioned Each. spring pressedplunger is indicated a and the spring for which at 36, each plunger operating in a hollow metallic member 3"? which is mounted on an insulated block 38, and held thereon by means of a substantially Ushaped bracket the limbs of which are soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the adjacent sides of the member 3'? and the U-shaped member being secured to the insulated block 38 by means of a transverse bolt l0. These sprii'ig pressed movable contacts cooperate with fixed contacts so that the collar 29 forming part ot the governor structure, moved longitudinally on the sha t, the said signals are selectively and automatically op-- erated to indicate the approximate speed at which the machine soequipped is moving. Rising from the lower end lDGlHlJST ll of the casing tor the mechanism is a hollow boss 42, which boss is slotted at spaced points at 4.3 to receive the arms 34:, as clearly illus trated in Figure l, thus guiding the collar 29 and its sleeve-like member 32 in its movements longitudinally of the shaft 16. The movements of these parts against the tension of the spring 31 is limited by the eifension 44 on the collar 29 coming in contact with the sleeve-like portion 28 oil the collar 26 as illustrated in Figure 2, so that the arms or ex tensions 3% above mentioned never move entirely out of the slots d3 of the hollow boss :2.

Each of the fixed contacts above mentioned is in the nature of a headed sore v orthe like indicated at 45 and carried by an insulator plate 4:6, and whichplate is secured to a metallic member 47 in any suitable manner preferably by angle-shaped strips 48 as shown in Figure 7. The head of the fixed contact 45 lies flush with the outer face of the insulated plate 46 as illustrated, while the binding post 49 is screwed into the metallic member 4;? and connected with the eonductin wire 50.

These fixed contacts 45 are stepped vertically, so that as the collar 29 moves upon the shaft 16in one direction, with the variation 01 the speed of the machine, one of the movable contacts 35 will be brought into engagement with the adjacent fixed contact 45 of a particular signal, thereby closing the circuit to the nal as will be readily understood. As shown in Figure 5, the current passes from a binding post 51 to the particular movable contact of the switch in use, through a wire 52, and passes through this contact 35 and its cooperating fixed contact 45 through a wire 53 which leads to the particular signal. Of course the manner in which the signals are wired or connected in the dill'erent circuits may vary without departing from the spirit of the invention.

in practice, the spring 31 normally holds the collar 29 and its sleeve-like member spaced its greatest distance away from the collar 26, which of course is the normal position of the parts, these collars forming part of the governor above mentioned. The fixed contacts as are of course arranged in the path oi movement of the movable contacts 35, so that as the collar 29 is moved along the shalt 16 in the direction of the collar 26, being controlled in its movements in this direction by the speed oi the machine, one oi the movable contacts will be brought into engagement with its cooperating fixed contact, at a predetermined speed, whereupon one oi" the sig nals is called into use. For instance the contacts can be arranged to cause the various signals to be actuated at predetermined speeds or the machine. The white signals will be called into use when the machine is running at a rate of approximately twenty miles an hour, the yellow signals actuated when the machine is traveling at approximately thirty or thirty-live miles an hour, and the red signals'operated when the speed of the vehicle reaches approximately forty or forty-live miles an hour. When the speed of the machine reac hes twenty miles an hour the circuit to the bulb in the white signal compartment is closed, and when the speed of the machine is increased to approximately thirty or thirtylive miles an hour, the operation of the governor causes the collar 29 to move closer to the collar 26, thereby breaking the circuit to the white signal, and closing the circuit to the yellow signal. Again when the speed of the machine is increased to approximately or miles an hour the circuit to the yellow signal is broken, and as the collar 29 moves closer to the collar 26 of the governor, the circuit to the red signal is automatically closed. Manilestly the invention provides means whereby a plurality of signals, each having a particular significance with relation to the speed of the machine, can be selectively and automatically called into use, thus all'ording others, and more particularly the drivers 01" approaching vehicles an opportunity to regulate or control the speed of their machines as the circumstances or conditions may require. The invention is not only simple in construction, and particularly advantageous for the purpose intended, but can be quickly and easily applied to any make of machine without any material alteration therein.

V1 hile it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood, that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and Ill) plurality of fixed contacts,la rotatable shaft, agovernor associated with said shaft and 1neluding a collar mounted for sliding movement thereon, said collarincluding a sleevelike portion, horizontally disposed extensions projecting from the lower end of the sleeve, and a spring pressed laterally movable contact mounted on each extension, and adapted to singly engage the fixed contacts at relatively diii'erent speeds of rotation of the shaft.

2. In a speed responsive circuit closer, a plurality of fixed contacts, a rotatable shaft, a governor associated with said shaft and including a collar mounted for sliding movement thereon, horizontally disposed extensions projecting 'llIOIH' EiIG lower end of the collar, a block of insulating material mount ed on each extension, a casing reposing on each block and coextensive in length therewith, and laterally movable spring pressed contacts operating within said casing, and adapted to singly engage the fixed contacts at relatively different speeds of rotation of said shaft.

3. In a speed responsive circult closer, a

plurality of fixed contacts, a rotatable shaft,

a governor associated with the shaft and including a collar mounted for sliding move ment thereon, said collar having a sleeve-like porti n, horizontally disposed extensions projecting from the lower end of the sleeve, spring pressed movable contacts supported on the ally to singly engage the fixed contacts at relatively dilferent speeds of rotation of the shaft, and a fixed collar surrounding the shaft beneath said sleeve and having longitudinal slots in which the horizontal extensions move to guide the sleeve longitudinally of the shaft and prevent rotation of the collar.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SAMUEL KLOOS.

respective arms and adjustable later 

